Page 21 of A Furry Thing Called Love
“I thought there was no occupancy?”Jordan asks.
“Baby!”Rodey calls out.
I laugh.“Such a sweet baby.She just wants to be your friend.”And possibly eat you, but we’re working on it.
Millie tries to jump up and I pull her back.“No, easy, Millie.”
Rodey flaps his wings and hops a little.“Friends, not food!”
Deciding that we’re pushing our luck for today, I snap and try to divert her attention.“Eyes on me, Millie,” I tell her.
It takes a minute and some persuading, but finally, she follows my command, and I’m able to lead her out of the dining room.Jordan follows us to the entryway.
“She did well, better than I thought.”
“I agree.Thanks for having us, and letting us work on it.”
“No problem.She’ll get there.She’s showing some great promise.I wouldn’t leave her loose around him anytime soon—even in the cage—but it’s going well.”
“Yeah.”I look down at Millie, giving her head another pat as she sits and stares longingly up at me.“We should get going, don’t want to take up any more of your time than we already have.”
Jordan reaches out and brushes his fingers down my arm, making me swallow back a gasp at the touch.“I don’t mind.I don’t have anything going on.I mean, I have a training session later, but right now, I’m all yours.”
Our eyes meet and there’s a charge between us as we stare at one another.
The moment is ruined by Millie whining, and we both look away with a laugh.“Guess we better go.”
“Okay.I’ll see you soon.”
Casting one more look his way, I smile gently.“Yeah, see ya later.”
Grabbing Eli’s harness from where I left it, I step back enough so Jordan can open the door for me.
Outside, I whistle for Eli, not bothering to fuss with his harness.Jordan walks us to the gate, opening it.“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
“I will.We’ll see you in a few days.”
For a moment, I think he’s going to say something, but when he doesn’t, I give him one last smile and head for my car.
It’s not until we’re driving home that I let myself examine my feelings from the afternoon.Realizing that Jordan’s house feels like…home.The exact sense of belonging I’ve been chasing for three years, but am only allowing myself to feel now, when I have less of a chance to have it than I did before.
Fucking hell.
Chapter13
Jordan
“I forgot to ask,how’d your appointment go?”
Arlo takes a moment to answer, watching Eli and Indie play along the shore, before finally saying, “It went good.They went over the results of my last MRI and determined this last relapse, while bad, could have been a lot worse.We’re still going to be cautious for the time being, since the length and progression of symptoms were intense, but I haven’t had any issues since my fall, and while I’m unsteady sometimes, I haven’t had any new or worsening symptoms.”
“So…” I don’t want to steer him any one way, but I know how worried he was about his condition progressing.
“For now, I haven’t been upgraded to Secondary Progressive.It was just a bad relapse, but based on the timeline and symptoms, I think it’s safe to say I’m at least in partial remission now.”
I let out a slow, relieved breath.A change in diagnosis wouldn’t have altered my feelings about him, but I know Arlo.As brave of a face he puts on, he was really worried.
“They suggested I use my crutches more, and I asked how I’m supposed to do that with the cast.”He lifts his arm and waves it around.“Best I can do is a cane and Eli for the next few weeks.And that’s if my arm even heals properly without needing any further procedures.The way my life is going, who the fuck knows what will happen once the cast is off and they take another scan.”
